Enemy At The Gates
by SailorFrance
Summary: Post Shippuuden. Ch. 1 & 2 revised. The Konoha 12 stumble upon a devastated town on the border of Fire Country setting off a series of events that could lead to the eventual fall of Konoha. Please Review!
1. Chapter 1: Konoha 12

Pale, gentle eyes took in the scene of utter destruction and devastation that surrounded her as she wondered what the hell had

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

This is my first Naruto story so please bear with me. I'm still not sure where to go with this story so I welcome all suggestions.

**Enemy At The Gates**

**By: SailorFrance**

**Chapter 1: Konoha 12**

Pale, gentle eyes took in the scene of the utter destruction and devastation that surrounded her as she wondered what the hell had transpired here and more importantly _who_ could have possible caused all this damage.

Each step her and her comrades took brought them deeper into the small, devastated town situated on the edge of Fire Country.

One after another they passed an endless array of crumbling buildings and burnt down homes.

She brought a hand up to her mouth as her eyes took in more of the scene around her.

Bodies lay strewn all over the place. Broken and bleeding corpses lay on the ground, impaled on wooden posts or buried beneath the rubble.

Her vision blurred as she passed by the body of a young mother who had thrown herself over her young son in a futile attempt to protect him.

She moved to get closer to the unfortunate mother and child when her foot got caught on something, causing her to stumble and fall.

Her eyes widened in fear and disbelief at the horrifying sight before her.

She sat there, frozen in shock.

That is, until the sound of distant screaming began to slowly draw her out of her trance like state.

The screaming grew louder.

'_Move!'_

'_Someone's in trouble!'_

"Hinata-sama!" Neji called out her name and was swiftly by her side.

Hinata let out a gasp as she felt a hand fall on her shoulder. She turned around and recognized the face of her cousin Neji.

The screaming stopped.

'_Had she been screaming?'_

Realization dawned on her, causing Hinata to blush. She clung on to one of Neji's arms as the other wrapped around her in a comforting embrace, causing her blush to deepen.

"Nii-san . . .nii-san . . ." she cried over and over again, her body trembling when her attention shifted elsewhere.

Neji followed her eyes to see that they were trained on the mutilated body of a young woman, or more accurately the _top half_ of her body. Her arms and legs had been severed and her clothes torn off. The implication was obvious.

Hearing Hinata's screams the rest of their team soon arrived.

They were met with a rare display from the usually cold and stoic Hyuuga whose arms were wrapped protectively around his younger cousin. Hinata was clinging tightly on to him, her midnight blue hair swaying with the breeze and her pale eyes shining with unshed tears.

The kind and gentle Hyuuga looked so out of place especially when surrounded by such massive death and destruction, but her friends knew better than to underestimate her.

Hinata was a rare breed of Shinobi. She was all heart and warmth in a line of work that often required them to carry out missions with a cold heart and a calculating gaze yet despite this, there were few people they would trust with their lives and Hinata was one of them. She held steadfast to her values and humanity where many other shinobi had lost theirs long ago. She was both deadly and merciful choosing to incapacitate her enemies rather then kill them as much as possible, though she was quite capable of killing with one gentle touch.

As her teammates, _her friends,_ approached, Hinata felt her heart twinge with guilt that she caused her friends to worry about her, disappointed in herself for reacting the way she did.

'_She was a shinobi! Damn it! She should be used to these things, death and mayhem were things of the norm in her line of work.' _

"Ano. . .go-gomen. . ." she started to say but was interrupted by Shikamaru who took it upon himself to be the first to speak among the friends.

He noticed the change in her features from that of shock and terror to one she wore often right before she offered an apology. The tell tale signs were there; eyebrows furrowed and eyes were downcast as she bowed her head slightly.

So, as _troublesome _as it was, he decided to cut her off.

"Whatever happened here, I think we need to send a report back to Konoha as soon as possible. The Hokage needs to hear of this so we can make a proper investigation and get some answers." Shikamaru was speaking to everyone but had turned his gaze to Hinata as he continued; "Whoever they are we will get them for this."

"Hinata-chan, we'll make those bastards pay! Dattebayo!" exclaimed Naruto with clenched fists and eyes shining with unshed tears, just as bright if not brighter than Hinata's.

Sakura nodded in agreement and gave Hinata a comforting smile while Tenten and Ino did the same.

Choji who was as kind-hearted as Hinata could do no more than offer a nod, letting everyone know how much this was also affecting him.

Her genin teammates Kiba and Shino stood comfortingly by her side, silently offering her their strength as Akamaru nuzzled her leg.

The usually exuberant Lee was unusually quiet, choosing to say nothing at all.

But then, he smiled that blindingly, unnatural smile that only two people in the whole wide world were capable of, and with his right arm outstretched, he gave her a thumbs-up.

It was a small, silent gesture that carried the weight of an unspoken promise immediately understood by the twelve friends as they all committed themselves to work hard to keep it.

Sasuke who was the last to approach the friends offered only his trademark response, _"Hn."_

However, no one failed to notice that he had purposely placed himself in front of Hinata, which effectively cut off her view of the unfortunate young woman.

"There seems to be nothing else we can do here. We should move out soon."

His words sounding cold and unaffected, but they knew him better.

Sasuke had changed a lot since he came back to Konoha after serving three long years under the tutelage of the traitor Sanin, Orochimaru.

He had come limping through the gates of Konoha bruised and battered beside a similarly afflicted Naruto and a worn looking Sakura. In spite of how they looked, it was hard to miss the large smiles that were prominently displayed on Naruto and Sakura's faces as well as the slight smirk that graced the usually stoic visage of the last Uchiha.

Nobody besides those three knew exactly what transpired between them, nor how Naruto and Sakura were able to finally convince Sasuke to return for they refused to speak about it. When prodded, Naruto would only say that none of it mattered and that he was happy because team seven was finally together again.

Sasuke was accepted back into Konoha and his punishment lessened in light of the fact that he was the one who killed Orochimaru hence, eliminating one of the biggest threats to the safety of the village. He was not allowed to be a practicing shinobi for his first year back after which he had been placed on probation for the following two years.

His first few years back in the village had been difficult as he was not welcomed back with open arms by a majority of the population. Civilians and fellow shinobi all looked at him with fear and distrust.

Few people would willingly speak with him and many refused to even look at him choosing to avert their eyes as he passed by. He was grateful to Naruto and Sakura, though he would never outright tell them this; who stuck by him through it all when he had done nothing to deserve such stalwart loyalty.

They pretended not to see the stares they received or hear the hateful whisperings about the _traitorous _Uchiha as they walked through the village. When she thought he wasn't looking, Sakura would send glares towards the gossipmongers daring them to speak another ill word about Sasuke in her presence.

Naruto was no stranger to such treatment by the village and carried on as he normally would, although Sasuke did not fail to notice that Naruto would subtly raise his already too loud voice in an effort to drown out the whisperings of the villagers they passed by.

Naruto and Sakura dragged Sasuke with them every time they met up with their group of friends to which Sasuke was not particularly comfortable nor welcomed, but rather tolerated especially because he was still looked at warily by Shikamaru, Choji, Neji, Kiba and Lee who had not forgotten that ill-fated mission to retrieve the Uchiha when they were still genin.

It took some time but Sasuke was eventually able to gain their trust and even their friendship as he proved himself over and over again during the missions that they shared that he could be depended upon.

Upon agreeing that there was nothing else they could do here the group decided that the most important thing was to get to Konoha as fast as they could to inform the Hokage of a possible threat to their country.

They began to walk back the way they came, all of them anxious to quickly leave this place behind though none of them were more anxious then Kiba, whose heightened sense of smell did not help him at all in this situation. The town exuded the smell of death as the stench of rotting flesh and decaying bodies filled his nostrils. He was starting to feel nauseous and the sooner they left this place behind the better. He was disturbed from his thoughts when Akamaru began barking. Everyone stopped walking and turned their questioning eyes towards Kiba.

"What is it Akamaru?" Kiba asked his four-legged companion.

Akamaru's barking became more persistent conveying to the companions that whatever the dog had found it must be important. Kiba took in what information Akamaru gave him and stood still as he strained his ears.

It was then that he heared the faintest of sounds.

"Yeah, I hear it too! Lead the way Akamaru!"


	2. Chapter 2: Discovery

**Enemy At The Gates**

**By: SailorFrance**

**Chapter 2: Discovery**

The Konoha 12 lead by Akamaru found themselves once again running back into the ravaged town, past the torn down buildings, demolished homes and broken bodies.

When Akamaru finally stopped, they found themselves in front of a doorway, which was partially torn off its hinges though it still blocked the entryway in addition to the pile of broken wood and pieces of concrete as a result of the roof caving in.

The companions could spare no time to dawdle as Akamaru's barking became more insistent in an effort to inform his two-legged companions of how imperative it was to get through as quickly as possible.

"There's someone in there!" Kiba yelled. Without wasting another second Lee gave the door a powerful kick, knocking the door and rubble aside to clear the way for them.

As the smoke and debris cleared, the sight that greeted the friends left them in shock and at a loss for words. In truth it shouldn't have been all that shocking, after seeing the state that the village was in it was almost inexplicable that they had not yet been desensitized.

The bodies of the family who lived here lay cold and lifeless on the blood-drenched floor. A man who looked to be in his mid to late forties was pinned to the wall by a sword through the stomach and a kunai through both shoulders. He had surely died a slow and painful death with his eyes wide open.

A few feet in front of him lay what they assumed to be his wife. She was laid haphazardly on the ground with both arms and legs heavily bound and completely devoid of any clothing. Her mouth hung open in a silent scream.

Perhaps that was exactly how it happened, Ino thought. Perhaps she had screamed for her tormentors to stop, or she may have screamed and begged to have her children spared, or maybe in the end she simply screamed for them to be merciful and kill her quickly.

'_Who could have done this?'_ Ino wondered for nearly the hundredth time since they arrived here.

The beautiful, blue-eyed kunoichi tried to keep her composure as she stared at her surroundings. She felt nauseous and it took all of her will power to keep down the bile that threatened to come forth. She was a kunoichi specially trained in reconnaissance and it was her duty to gather information _by any means necessary_, which ultimately meant that sometimes she had to use her body. Lucky for her, her family's mind jutsu made it possible for her to take control of situations before things could go _that_ way.

But seeing _this_ put things in a different perspective for her and the other kunoichi that were also specialized in her field had no choice but follow through on their mission word for word, _by any means necessary._

None of this was supposed to happen. The mission details did not say anything about this. It was actually supposed to be a relatively low level mission, B-rank at the most, especially for a group of Konoha's elite. The only reason that all twelve of them were on this mission together was because most of them had no missions of their own at the moment and were merely tagging along. They considered it as a time to bond with their friends, almost like a vacation. After all, the border town was only a few hours travel for them from Konoha and the mission was to simply take down a few bandits who had been harassing the town. Ino didn't understand why this had to happen at all and could no longer bear to look at the woman or her family.

Beside the woman lay her two children, a young girl and a boy. Their throats had been slit though not deep enough to kill them instantly, but rather to have them bleed to death in a slow fashion. It became clear that the poor husband had been forced to watch helplessly as his family was raped, tortured and murdered by those bastards.

Sakura's heart clenched. She was a medic nin and she considered it her duty to save lives first and foremost but at the moment she felt so helpless. They had come too late and she knew that in her field a few seconds could make the difference between life and death. Despite the guilt she felt, she knew that there was something big going on here.

Things had been quiet lately with the defeat of Orochimaru, the threat of Sound Village became virtually non-existent. The biggest threat they faced in the last few years was that of Akatsuki. They had spent the last five years picking them off and fighting its members one by one. It was a long, hard fought battle but they managed to persevere in the end although not without their own casualties.

Sakura's mind was moving quickly putting together all the facts they knew and all that they've seen today. They only received the mission this morning and from the details she knew that this was definitely not something they should have been expecting. Her eyebrows furrowed at the conclusions she was coming to as alarms began going off in her head. However, her thoughts were interrupted when she heard the silent whimpering coming from the far corner of the room.

Everyone's attention was soon drawn towards the sound. In the far corner of the room lay another body of a girl but this one was alive!

The lone survivor of this massacre was a young woman maybe a couple years younger then themselves. She was probably the only person who could shed light on what happened to the town.

The girl was laid out on the floor whimpering and clutching something to her chest. Her body was beaten and she had cuts running all over her naked form. Her eyes were wide and fearful as she stared at the group of Shinobi. If it were not for the bruises and bloody welts covering her face Shikamaru thought that she might have looked beautiful.

Realizing that he was staring and it was making the girl even more uncomfortable and frightened of them, _the strangers_, Shikamaru averted his eyes. The other male Shinobi upon coming to the same realization soon followed his lead as they moved to leave the room and hoped the girls would be able to handle it. However, unlike the rest of his male companions Naruto had actually moved closer to the girl.

"Naruto! You baka! Can't you see that . . ." Sakura did not get to finish what she had intended to say and she let her arm fall to her side before she could smack Naruto for his perceived idiocy. Instead, her eyes softened and her heart fluttered when Naruto unzipped his jacket and wrapped it around the girl while whispering words of comfort.

"It's alright. We're friends and we're here to help you. My name is Uzumaki Naruto and I promise no one will hurt you anymore."

'How did Naruto always know what to say and what to do at the right time?' Wondered his companions. It was like he played the part of the village idiot most of the time just so that when he did something right like this they would all end up gawking in awe of him as they did now.

The girl met Naruto's gaze, searching its endless blue depths for a hint of a lie, of malice or deception but found nothing but sincerity and so she allowed Naruto to help her stand. However, she was too weak and soon her legs gave out, but Naruto was quickly there to support her. He offered her a smile, silently asking her permission to which she nodded and he swiftly picked her up bridal style. He carried her as he walked past Sakura and his comrades leading them out of the room, out of this town and back towards Konoha.

"Let's go home guys."


	3. Chapter 3: Home

**Author's Note:** Okay . . .so I didn't even get a single review although the story did get quite a few hits these past few days. I really want to come out with something that has quality writing and be something readers will not only enjoy, but also remember. To do that I need feed back, good or bad. I'm looking to edit and re-write parts of the first two chapters again because I think maybe some people are clicking on the story and not really liking it so they don't bother to finish it. I have also decided to put out this chapter right away as a means of encouraging those who have read the story and like it so far to leave a review. Knowing that others are interested in the story will motivate me to write more and put chapters out faster, so it's a win-win for everyone!

**Enemy At The Gates**

**By: SailorFrance**

**Chapter 3: Home**

The Godaime Hokage was definitely not in a good mood this morning as she sat at her heavy, wooden desk, elbows resting on top and fingers loosely intertwined. Her golden eyebrows furrowed as she contemplated all of the possible implications of Shikamaru's message. She opened a drawer and reached for her sake only to find nothing there. _Damn it! Shizune must have found her stash!_

Earlier that day they received a message from Shikamaru that simply said: _Coming back ASAP. Mission failed. Village gone._

What the hell?! Village gone? Mission failed?! They were twelve of her best shinobi, what could they have possibly run into that _they_ of all people couldn't handle?

In truth she only sent the former team 7 on the mission because Naruto was becoming bored and restless and that never bode well for anyone, so she sent Sakura and Sasuke to accompany him on a short and simple mission. In other words, she sent them along so that they could watch him and keep him out of trouble.

Upon hearing of this, Lee and Kiba had begged to go along because as Lee put it, he could not let his "_youthful rival"_ get ahead of him while he himself was still in his _"springtime of youth."_

Shino had said something about not being left out again and Hinata decided to go too because her former team wanted to go and she wanted to spend time with them. Thus, Neji also volunteered to go because Hinata was going and he had to _protect _Hinata-sama, while Tenten exclaimed with righteous fury that, like Shino, they would not leave her behind _AGAIN!_

When Naruto found out that all of his friends were going he had excitedly went in search of Shikamaru, Choji and Ino telling them that Baa-chan was giving them all a vacation, much to Tsunade's chagrin.

The easy going Akimichi readily agreed, as Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders and complained about how _troublesome _it was but followed anyways, along with Ino who said, "Oh what the hell, why not."

Sakura, her apprentice who she was sure would surpass her one-day, could kill dozens with a flick of her fingers.

Sasuke, the famed last Uchiha, was said to have once defeated an army of a thousand men without acquiring a single injury or even breaking a sweat. He managed to injure and subdue the whole army without killing a single one, which was a testament to his skill and control.

Then there was Naruto, the loud idiot was as incredibly lucky as Tsunade was incredibly unlucky. The boy had grown both physically and mentally, quickly becoming the man that his father trusted he'd grow up to be. He was the most powerful shinobi in the village in terms of strength and had a vast array of jutsu at his disposal. Since he was a child he'd faced and defeated so many others who were considerably more powerful than him self and now there were few shinobi who could even possibly lay a finger on him.

The former team 10, Shikamaru, Ino and Choji were famed for their teamwork just as their parents were.

She was sure Shikamaru could outsmart anyone and she could just imagine him standing with his back slouched, hands in his pocket and his opponents being choked to death by their own shadows as he stood muttering about all the "troublesome" things that happened to him that day.

Ino had grown a lot from the vain teenage girl that she was. Tsunade had trained her in medical jutsu and though she was not as gifted as Sakura, she was quite competent. In addition to that, she trained hard and mastered many of her family's mind jutsus.

Ino was an intelligent and formidable opponent who was able to manipulate her enemies into killing themselves or each other while she stood prettily off to the side waiting for them to finish each other off. And finally, there was Choji. Well, Choji could turn himself into a giant and just practically stomp on everyone to death.

The Hyuuga Genius and the Hyuuga Heiress were also part of the team that went along for the "_vacation", _as Naruto called it.

Neji was the strongest Hyuuga in generations and an ANBU captain. Both himself and Hinata were quite skilled in their family's fighting style. They made killing look like an art form.

Hinata, with her lithe figure, flowing midnight blue hair and inherent grace made everything she did look beautiful. Many times her opponents had been too caught up by her beauty and awed by the fluid movements she made with her body as they watched her smoothly reach out and close off their chakra points. Soon, they would find themselves unable to do anything but stare helplessly into haunting, lavender eyes when finally, Hinata would brush her fingers gently over a critical point to end their lives.

In contrast, when Hyuuga Neji was your opponent you wouldn't have the time or the luxury to see how he was as graceful and beautiful, in a _manly_ way of course, as his female cousin. When Neji was your opponent you didn't have time to be awed by his skill, his power, or his luxurious, long, dark hair that was just as lovely as Hinata's. When Neji was your opponent, you wouldn't have time to ponder or be awed by such frivolous matters because you would already be dead.

Rounding out the group were Kiba, Shino, Tenten and Lee. All were highly skilled members of ANBU.

Kiba was still as loud and brash as he was when he was younger but was a force to be reckoned with especially with Akamaru by his side. With speed and strength they tore down their enemies.

Shino was a brilliant tactician and dangerous opponent, nothing less was expected of the Aburame heir. He was solemn and quiet. He wasn't flashy, but he used the skills of his clan with brilliance and often defeated opponents long before the fight even started.

Tenten was fierce and killed with deadly accuracy. Through the years she pushed herself harder to learn more ninjutsu and incorporate it into her talent as a marksman and the excellent taijutsu skills she learned from her sensei, the self-proclaimed _"Beautiful Green-Beast of Konoha."_ Her favorite move utilized her affinity to wind-based techniques where she would trap her opponents in a mini tornado whose heavy winds and a thousand kunai ensured that her enemies would be cut to shreds.

And last but not least was Gai's own prodigy, Lee. His speed and strength ensured that he could take out a handful of his enemies before anyone could even bat an eye.

In short, the logical conclusion was that any one of them could have taken out the bandits single handedly with relative ease.

So again, the blonde, amber-eyed woman wondered, what happened out there?

It didn't help that Shikamaru's note was so vague, but these twelve were some of Konoha's elite. All of them were allowed to go only because she decided the little brats deserved a break and besides, things had been peaceful for some time now and if she needed them they could be back in the village within a couple hours since the mission didn't take them too far.

Tsunade massaged her temple. She needed a drink and she needed it _NOW_.

"Shiiizuunee!! Where's my sake?!" The frazzled Hokage's assistant rushed in after hearing her name bellowed by her frustrated, blonde leader.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune cried out as she stepped into the office fighting the urge to cringe under the intimidating gaze of the Hokage who was undoubtedly vexed at having her sake confiscated, even though it was for _her own good!_

"Tsunade-sama, they're back!" she continued breathlessly. "They are approaching the gates as we speak."

'_Finally,'_ Tsunade thought. Now she'd get some answers.


	4. Chapter 4: Moving Forward

**Author's Note:** Sorry for the long wait. I must have written and rewritten this chapter dozens of times. I think I've got it to something I feel comfortable with posting. This chapter by itself is twice as long as the other chapters and hopefully it also has the same quality if not better. I continuously re-read and re-write all of the previous chapters as I write this story, I have made changes and corrections to them though most of it is subtle so you might want to re-read those chapters. Enjoy!

Special thanks to those who left reviews!

**Enemy At the Gates  
**

**By: SailorFrance**

**Chapter 4: Moving Forward**

A myriad of feelings washed over the group of companions as they neared the gates of Konoha.

Relief and gratitude was felt by everyone, anxious to be within the safety of their village and surrounded by friends and family. However, they were also guilt-ridden that the people in the small town they had just left behind could never again experience that same comfort. So they held steadfast in their hope for the young girl that Naruto held in his arms; that she might live so that at least one life had been spared.

This was a certainly a first for the group of twelve, to come back looking so weary and _defeated._

They all understood and accepted that the future of their village rested upon their young shoulders, for within their ranks were the future clan heads and leaders of a handful of Konoha's prestigious clans, as well as the legacy of the Sannin_. _

Hence, they took their duties seriously by dedicating themselves to the responsibility of protecting their most precious people and accepting the task of ensuring a prosperous future for their village.

But the recent events had left them shaken, troubled by self-doubt and burdened by unspoken fears that maybe, they _were_ too young and that the expectations placed on them were too great after all.

Admittedly, they have fought numerous battles in which the odds were heavily against them or even seemed insurmountable, especially for average Shinobi of their age.

Having faced the likes of Orochimaru, Akatsuki and Uchiha Madara, opponents that were so deranged, so powerful, so out of their league, it was a miracle really, for them to have walked away still in possession of their lives.

_But that was just the point. _

No matter what was thrown at them they had been able to handle it, smite down their enemies and come walking back into their village exhausted, battle weary and sometimes half dead; but _always_ victorious, _always_ with their head held high, and _always_ feeling like heroes.

It was something they took pride in though they could never forget that they are anomalies in the Shinobi world.

Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke often thought of their genin sensei, Kakashi, who had lost his own sensei and teammates by the time he was fourteen, knowing just how close they had come to realizing that same fate.

Hence, the fact that all twelve of them had survived this long together was a _miracle _in their line of work, which was all the more reason for them never to take that fact for granted lest their luck should run out.

Though every member of _The Twelve_ felt their spirits lift, even if it was just a little, at the sight of their village which was now practically just a hop, skip and jump away, none felt more relieved than Sasuke, for he could not help but feel grateful that those gates would once again open up to welcome him _home_.

There was a time when he had forsaken this village and held little hope of ever returning, let alone entertain thoughts that the village would even deign to welcome him back with open arms.

Were it not for the blonde _dobe_ that statement would have been proven true.

Naruto, the aforementioned blonde dobe was currently sprinting ahead of the group, leading them back home.

'_Home.'_

Sasuke knew he had been given a second chance and he refused to squander it. This was the only home he knew and he would never take it for granted again.

He stole a glace at his pink haired former teammate as she moved alongside him, matching his every step, leap and bound in an almost synchronized fashion. He remembered a time when she could _barely _do even that, let alone decimate mountains with a single punch like she was now capable of doing.

Yes, she had blossomed into a strong and skilled kunoichi and . . . he could not help thinking that she was also _very _pretty.

She was not pretty in the same way as Ino, the poster child for the quintessential beauty. Ino was the classic tall, long-legged, blue-eyed blonde while Sakura was a collection of vibrant, striking features, the most prominent of which was her pink hair and emerald eyes, that by all logic should have clashed rather then compliment each other.

Yet on _her _it made her all the more _breathtaking._

Sakura had grown her hair long again and he couldn't help but admire the way its pink tendrils framed her face in a way that emphasized her striking emerald eyes, which he felt were her best feature. Unfortunately for him, those striking emerald eyes were focused on one particular loud, blonde haired _dobe_.

He watched her watch him and wondered if she even knew that she was staring at Naruto. She would probably deny it if anyone called her on it, but he knew she would only be denying the inevitable.

The thought caused Sasuke to release a sigh.

Sakura turned her head and tossed him a questioning look.

"Is something wrong Sasuke-kun?"

'_Kuso!' _

Caught staring, Sasuke was thrown off guard, and as immature as it was he responded with the first thing that came to his head.

"Hn."

He then turned his attention away from her, doing his best to keep on an impassive façade as he surged forward.

Sakura was perplexed as she let her gaze linger on him for a little bit longer.

'_That was strange. Did she do something wrong?'_ She wondered.

As close as she was to Sasuke now, she knew she would never fully understand him the way Naruto did. She had accepted that long ago. However, she had also noticed Sasuke staring at her more frequently though she pretended not to notice for he was also often frowning while he was staring at her.

Sakura supposed she might have done something to upset him though she had no clue what it could possibly be. She let out a sigh knowing that _this _was not the time to think about such things. With a slight shake of her head she decided to continue moving forward.

_Ironic._

That was the best way to describe the situation. Back then, though he was able to eventually appreciate her as a teammate, he never really thought of Sakura in the way that she had wanted.

_No, that was not completely true_.

He found her weak, annoying and clingy just like all those other girls who chased him around, _at first._ However, the night he left she had left a lasting impression on him as she made her tearful plea for him to _stay _with her_,_ promising him that if he_ chose her_ she would make sure that he would never regret it and that she would do everything she could to ensure his happiness.

He had _felt_ something for his pink haired teammate then—though he didn't know what it was nor did he have the time to find out because he had other "ambitions" to think about first.

Sakura's tearful pleas to stay and her heartfelt promise of devotion were his last memories of Konoha. As hard as he tried to forget, those memories had stayed with him and kept him warm during those long, lonely days in Orochimaru's cold and dark lair.

Now she was stronger, independent and about a hundred other things that Sasuke admired, but those same changes were the reasons that she no longer chased him around. He knew she loved him still but in a completely different capacity.

Haruno Sakura had grown up and moved on.

It was sadly funny that now she held his attention, hers was no longer his and he doubted it ever would again. She deserved someone like Naruto, whose faith and love for her never wavered.

Though it hurt his pride to admit it, Naruto was the better man and he would make her happy. She had given him her heart once before and he chose to break it. He made his choice then, to get stronger and pursue Itachi.

He _chose _to leave Konoha and his friends. He _chose_ to leave Sakura.

So, he will get over whatever _this_ was and move on as she had done, for his sake and theirs as well.

He owed them more than he could ever repay. He pushed them away and hurt them countless times, yet they _never_ gave up on him. Naruto and Sakura were now his family, his precious people, he would protect them and the last thing he wanted was to cause them any pain.

**ooOOOooOOOooOOOooOOOooOOOooOOoo**

As soon as the village had come into view Naruto had pressed forward relentlessly, forcing his comrades to match his pace, but they all understood and knew that they had to get this girl to the hospital as soon as possible despite Sakura and Ino doing what they could to stabilize her. As good as they were, they were no substitute for a fully equipped hospital.

Naruto could not describe what he was feeling. His heart clenched and he could not help the feeling of regret that seeped throughout his body. He thought of the girl that lay in his arms and how she had lost everything. She no longer had a home, friends or family to go back to. He could not help but think that _maybe_ there was something they could have done _if only_ they had gotten there faster.

Deep down he knew the futility of such faulty reasoning. The life of a shinobi was hard enough without dwelling over an infinite amount of _maybes_, _what ifs_, and _if only_.

Shinobi deal with _what is, _and move forward.

So, he will move forward with the things that they do know, primarily, the fact that the town had already been attacked a couple of days _before_ they had arrived and _before_ they even received the mission request.

They were almost there now and he could see Tsunade standing at the gates waiting for them with Shizune at her side.

And so, with heavy hearts, Naruto and his friends had finally arrived home.

Today, there would be no victory to boast of or take pride in. There would be no glorious stories recounting battles that were hard fought and won. Today they walked through the village gates shoulders slumped and eyes downcast because today, they did not feel like heroes.

**ooOOOooOOOooOOOooOOOooOOOooOOOoo**

Tsunade watched as the group approached the gates, her eyes instantly seeking the blonde haired, blue-eyed loudmouth and her pink haired apprentice. She visually scanned each of them for tell tale signs of any injury they may have received, sighing in relief when she found none. However, she could tell by their posture and facial expression that though they were physically unharmed they had not returned completely unscathed.

Naruto now stood before her and she could not help but notice the sorrow in his eyes. She noticed the girl that he held in his arms and instantly she understood.

'_Oh Naruto . . . just like you to blame yourself for something like this.'_

"Baa-chan . . ._please_ she needs your help." Naruto pleaded with a voice so unlike his own.

Perhaps it was the sad sight the group made, but she felt . . . _something_ off. She shrugged it off for the time being. There were more important things to take care of now.

"Everyone to my office now." She ordered. "Naruto take her to the hospital and Sakura go with him. You two can meet up with us in my office once you have her situated there. You all have a lot of explaining to do."

**oooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOoooOOooo**

Sakura worriedly looked on as she watched Naruto standing so solemnly beside the girl. She was in stable condition, waiting only for Tsunade herself to give her a check up. The girl had been in and out of consciousness as they traveled back to Konoha, though she was conscious long enough to tell him her name was Himiko and that the attack had happened too fast for her to remember much.

Naruto moved to grab Himiko's hand causing Sakura to feel a surge of . . . _jealousy?_

Sakura knew she had no basis to feel that way. She had no claim on Naruto and the gesture was not of the romantic nature, but she just could not help but feel that way when she saw him being so close to the girl.

"Himiko-chan, please get better soon. I'll come back to visit again and . . . I haven't forgotten my promise to you." Naruto whispered the last part as he gently let go of Himiko's hand, placing it beside the sleeping girl.

Sakura let out a sigh. She had no doubt that when Himiko woke up she would be added to the ever growing list of damsels in distress, priestesses, and princesses whom Naruto had helped or saved in one way or another and in whose hearts Naruto held a special place.

The unwitting blonde had a way about him that allowed him to worm his way into even the most hardened of hearts and so it couldn't be helped. However, Sakura still found it difficult to fight down the jealousy she felt building inside her once again.

'_Why is she feeling this way?' _ She wondered and felt a little disgusted at herself for thinking that way when the poor girl had lost so much.

Though she conceded that she had been feeling this way more often lately, she refused to dwell on it. Sakura reasoned that even before they became genin she had always had all of Naruto's attention.

Fighting Akatsuki and searching for Sasuke had been a long, arduous journey littered with tough battles, near death experiences and emotional pitfalls, but these were the things that had brought them closer and helped forge the unique bond they now shared.

Naruto _is_ her best friend and she was just finding it difficult to no longer have a monopoly over his time and affections. She also understood that it was unreasonable to expect things to stay that way especially as they grew older.

Sakura silently made her way to stand beside him. Neither of them spoke for a long while.

"Naruto . . ._ " _Sakura placed a hand on his shoulder, making the decision to break Naruto out of his thoughts since the blonde was not taking the initiative to do so himself.

"Hokage-sama and the others are still waiting for us." She reminded him.

"Ahh. . . gomen Sakura-chan," Naruto responded as he finally turned to face her, giving her half a smile. She felt her heart twinge for the thousandth time around the blonde but this time it was due to a mixture of pity and hurt.

In the past, no matter the situation Naruto had always had one of his stupid giant smiles ready for _her,_ which she secretly found comfort in, often providing her with the strength, courage or confidence she needed.

It was only now, however, that she realized that she had taken those smiles for granted, just as she had always taken _him_ for granted, because right now, at this very moment, she wanted nothing more than to see him smile at her the way he used to.

The walk towards the Hokage tower had been mostly silent, which made Sakura feel a bit uneasy. Silence was a virtue unfamiliar and seldom practiced by Naruto and she had never felt as distanced from him than those few minutes they spent walking together.

'_Had things really changed this much_?'She wondered, and if so when did it start and how could she have possibly missed it? Sure she had been busy at the hospital, but they were all busy nowadays. Still, she managed to have lunch or dinner with Sasuke and Naruto at least once a week or whenever one of them returned from an especially long mission.

Sakura frowned. '_First Sasuke and now Naruto.'_

They were both acting strange around her and she had no clue to the reason why.

Unable to hold it in anymore she broke the tension by speaking, after all, she had never been known for her patience especially when it concerned Naruto.

"Naruto, is something wrong? Ano . . . are you mad at me?"

"Ehhh?! Of course not Sakura-chan!"

Naruto looked genuinely confused and surprised by the question, but Sakura was damn sure she was neither imagining things nor making something out of nothing, for the tense atmosphere cast by the proverbial ocean between them was palpable.

She was about to continue her pursuit of the topic when she realized Naruto had stopped walking. He then turned to face her, standing mere inches apart though he remained silent.

The intensity of his gaze was disconcerting, rendering her immobile under his close scrutiny.

'_What? Was there something on her face?' _ Sakura was dumbfounded.

Their close proximity didn't help her situation either, as she felt her heart beat faster and her body begin to flush. Yet, none of that mattered when his eyes met hers and she saw the softness they held. Only a fool or the blind could have missed the deep affection those cerulean eyes held for her, and Sakura was neither. It was enough to quell a number of her growing fears concerning the changes in their relationship.

"I could never be angry with you," he told her gently.

"Then why are you being so distant with me? We've been walking for nearly ten minutes and you've hardly said more than a few words to me."

"Gomen Sakura-chan. I've just been thinking . . ." Naruto trailed off, taking a step away from her to increase the distance between them when he realized just how close he was standing next to her.

Naruto began rubbing the back of his neck, now feeling a bit uncomfortable.

"I've just been thinking about this last mission. A lot of things don't add up. I know you noticed it too and . . ."

He paused and took a deep breath before continuing, " . . .and I've also been thinking a lot about us."

Sakura's eyes widened and her heartbeat quickened once more.

'_Us . . .?'_

"Yeah, you know? You and me . . ."

Sakura gasped causing Naruto to raise an eyebrow at her as he continued,

". . . and Sasuke-teme, Hinata-chan, Neji and . . . well I guess everyone."

"Oh, yeah _us._" Sakura replied feeling a little disappointed.

'_What was she expecting? A love confession?'_

Sakura sweat dropped, feeling embarrassed because _that_ was exactly what she had been expecting, and belatedly, she wondered why she felt so disappointed.

'_Did she want that from Naruto?'_

Naruto did not get a chance to finish and Sakura would never know what Naruto had intended to say for they had reached the Hokage's office and Shizune had chosen that moment to interrupt them.

"Naruto! Sakura! There you are. Hurry up! Everyone's been waiting for you two. Tsunade-sama wanted everyone in her office before they began."

With that said, Shizune ushered them into Tsunade's office where the rest of their friends sat awaiting their arrival.

**Author's Note:**

I meant for this chapter to be much longer and to include the scene in Tsunade's office but I took it out and am putting it in the next chapter. So expect the next chapter in a week or two. Thanks everyone!!


	5. Chapter 5: Author's Note

**Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed chapter 4! The next chapter will be coming along soon. A big portion of it was supposed to be part of chapter 4 but I decided to put it for chapter 5 instead. So hang in there and I look forward to reading any reviews or comments. **


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